PRIZE recruits Cameron Bruce and David Hale showed they will make Hawthorn a stronger side in 2011, both performing solidly in the Hawks' comfortable 29-point practice match win over North Melbourne at Skilled Stadium on Saturday.

Both Bruce and Hale were representing Hawthorn for the first time, and Hale quickly made an impression against his former side, kicking the first goal of the match and two in the first quarter as the Hawks won 15.9 (99) to 10.10 (70).

He spent the day rotating between the Hawks' forward line - where Lance Franklin, best on ground with 5.4, and Jarryd Roughead were running amok - and the ruck, as the Hawks envisaged when they traded for him last October.

Bruce also showed he would add versatility to the Hawks line-up, playing everywhere from defence and attack to the midfield.

Another Hawk newcomer, former Demon Kyle Cheney, was resolute in defence, while youngster Brendan Whitecross was prominent and rookies Will Sierakowski and Tom Schneider showed encouraging signs.

In general play, the Hawks used the ball with more surety than the Kangaroos, who made too many unforced errors by hand and foot.

The Hawks' day looked as though it might have turned sour just before half time, when Franklin was crunched in a marking contest and limped from the ground favouring his right leg, but he resumed as though nothing had happened after the long break.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said the match was a pretty even contest in which both sides had dominated for patches but missed chances.

"We thought we played particularly well in the first half, even though we were well in front we perhaps thought we could have been even further in front," he said.

"(But) in the second half, I thought the Kangas were a little bit better than us and didn't convert all of their chances."

While pleased with his side’s skill level in the first half, Clarkson said it had become 'grubbier' in the second half but acknowledged that the warm day may have been a factor in this.

He was more pleased with the Hawthorn debuts of Hale and Bruce but said they were still adjusting to the Hawks' style of play.

"I was pleased with their efforts. More importantly, they just need to get a lot of game time over these next three or four games. They won’t have a real good grip of the way that we play and their teammates' idiosyncrasies until probably halfway through the season," Clarkson said.

Hawthorn   5.2    9.4      12.7    15.9 (99 )
North Melbourne   2.3    4.4      8.7     10.10 (70)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Franklin 5, Roughead 4, Hale 2, Lewis, Osborne, Rioli, Schneider
North Melbourne: Thomas 3, Warren 2, Wright, Wells, Petrie, Adams, Mullett

BEST
Hawthorn: Franklin, Roughead, Mitchell, Bruce, Burgoyne, Gibson, Whitecross
North Melbourne: Swallow, Adams, Wells, Richardson, Thomas

Injuries: Hawthorn: Nil
North Melbourne: L Delaney (calf)

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs